WrestleMania 31 Reax

- VIP member Keith Sterling in Albuquerque, N.M.: My favorite four matches, in no particular order: IC Title ladder match, Sting vs. Triple H, U.S. Title match, WWE World Hvt. Title match. Overall, it was a good PPV, with a few exciting and shocking moments. I loved seeing The Rock and Ronda Rousey. The main event had a very shocking ending; with Brock Lesnar re-signing, i did see Seth Rollins cashing in the MITB contract. But, I am wondering what the storyline was before Brock re-signed compared to after he re-signed.

- Derrick Hubbard (9.0): Best Match: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns. Everything on the card was good to great, but it is hard to overlook the booking of the main event. WWE booked an absolutely brilliant finish the creatively covered all the bases. Worst Match: It does not feel right to throw anything under the bus. Everything had its place, and fulfilled its purpose.

Without hesitation, I will proclaim this was a great event. It provided the three components I long for when anticipating every WrestleMania: wrestling workrate, special attractions, and the “big fight” feel. It has been a challenging year for WWE, but they were firing on all cylinders. The company does not always reward its diehard fans for their steadfast commitment to the brand, but on nights like tonight I will wave the flag, praise the machine, stand up, and chant, “WWE is Awesome.” From top to finish, great show. Perhaps, one of the greatest Mania events ever.

- Josh Lavian of New York City (7.5): Best: Lesnar-Reigns. Worst: Divas match. Pretty good Mania this year. The ladder match was one of the better matches on the card, as was Cena-Rusev. With the way everyone killed themselves in the IC match, and having someone of Cena’s stature go after the U.S. Title, WWE’s doing a great job of building up the credibility of these belts, and Cena deserves to be commended for working this program, though they took two steps back by regulating the Tag Title match to the pre-show. I’ve come around on Cena, but it was still weird seeing middle-aged men in Cena wear. I’m interested in knowing the story behind Cena hitting a Stunner, of all moves.

I’m torn between wondering why Taker came back (and why WWE ended The Streak last year if he was going to come back) if it was for such a lackluster appearance, though happy to see him still doing his thing. For the first time, Taker’s entrance was lackluster, and missing his usual mystique and oomph... I liked watching HBK come back in heel mode... Seeing Flair and Bret interact was interesting to behold... The tease, lead up, and surprise of Ronda Rousey getting involved was done well, but the pay-off was extremely underwhelming. I get that this will increase mainstream exposure for WWE, but two matches could have filled that time, while this confrontation could have been condensed to at least half the time.

Lastly, the WWE Title match. Though I’m not so crazy about the outcome, I’ve been saying this with every match Lesnar has been in since he’s been back: I don’t care if he does this for the money. He delivers EVERY time. Literally every single match he’s been in since he came back has been at least a four-star match, with several in the five-star range. From his look, his legitimate background, to the pacing of his matches, and the power he exhibits, he gets it done every time. He’s the common denominator, no matter who he faces, and it really is best for business that he renewed his contract. This had a great big-fight feel, just as a World Title match should. Was he supposed to get color off that ringpost? It was a great visual. Overall, a worthy WrestleMania.

Did you watch WrestleMania? Send your Reax, 0-10 Score, and Best/Worst Match to pwtorch@gmail.com.

[Torch art credit Travis Beaven (c) PWTorch.com]

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